Tulay, kailan ka matatapos?
Ito ang isang malaking katanungan ng mga residente ng Barangay Tigwi, Torrijos, Marinduque hinggil sa proyektong “Construction of Tigwi bridge and approaches along Dampulan-Lipata-Yook-Buenavista Road” na hanggang sa kasalukuyan ay hindi pa rin natatapos.
Ang proyekto na nagkakahalaga ng Php 55,339,972.94 ay sinimulan noong Hunyo 26, 2015 sa implementasyon ng Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)-Mimaropa Region sa pamamagitan ng isang pribadong kontratista na St. Gerrard Construction na pagmamay-ari ni Pacifico Discaya II.
Ngunit sa bisa ng Department Order No. 130 series of 2015 sa ilalim ng pangangasiwa ng kalihim ng DPWH, Rogelio Singson, sinuspinde nito ang St. Gerrard Construction noong Agosto 12, 2015. Mariing nakasaad sa sulat na sa loob ng isang taon ay hindi pahihintulutang lumahok sa lahat ng uri ng public bidding ang St. Gerrard Construction.
“In view of the submission of St. Gerrard Construction of Tax Clearance with TCC No. NO-ARMD-12-03-R01388-2015 to the Procurement Service which was confirmed spurious by the Accounts Receivable Monitoring Division of the Bureau of Internal Revenue, the said firm including its owner, Mr. Pacifico F. Discaya II, is hereby suspended for a period of one (1) year from participating in the public bidding process of DPWH as administrative penalty pursuant to Section 69.1 (a) Rule XXIII of the Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations of Republic Act 9184, which provides that in addition to the provision of Articles XXI and XXII of this Act, the Head of the Procuring Entity, subject to the authority delegated to the Bids and Awards Committee, if any, shall impose on bidders or prospective bidders , the administrative penalty of suspension for one (1) year for the first offense of submitting eligibility requirements containing false information or falsified documents”
Oktubre 3, 2016 ng iparating ng inyong lingkod ang nasabing isyu kay Director Elizabeth Pilorin ng DPWH Stakeholders Affairs Division (SRS-SAD) Citizen’s Feedback Management Center na agad namang binigyang pansin ni Assistant Regional Director Nicasio Tambal ng DPWH-Regional Office IV-B at idinulog niya ito sa DPWH-Marinduque.
Oktubre 20, 2016, sa tugon nina Project Engineer Aristeo Linga at District Engineer Esmeraldo Sarmiento ng DPWH-Marinduque District Engineering Office, sinasabing pansamantalang sinuspinde ang proyekto simula noong Hunyo 1, 2016 dahil sa mga sumusunod:
(a) Pending submission by the contractor of an acceptance and approved methodology to correct the noted deficiency on two (2) of the four (4) girders cast on the site. This is to give ample time to the contractor to rectify the works to avoid wastage while still ensuring the structural integrity of the structure. The deficiency was noted when routinary quality tests on the two (2) girders yielded results less than the required specifications. Tests are regularly conducted on the construction materials as well as finished works to ensure compliance to standards and specifications.
(b) Inclement weather prevailing in the area brought by typhoons, low pressure areas and southwest monsoons.
(c) Issues regarding the extraction of aggregates. Accordingly, the contractor is given a hold order to extract aggregates pending compliance to some documentary and other requirements being required by the Provincial Mining Regulatory Board.
Gayunman, naglabas rin ng “calibrated actions” ang DPWH-Marinduque sa St. Gerrard Construction alinsunod sa Department Order No. 102 series of 1988 – Calibrated Actions on Contracts with Negative Slippages.
Inaasahan sanang tapos na ang proyekto noong nakaraang Setyembre 3, 2016 ngunit base sa kasalukuyang pagkakasuspinde ng St. Gerrard Construction, humiling pa ito ng mahaba-haba pang panahon.
Sa kabila nito, hindi naman magiging hadlang ang paghingi ng kontrator ng palugit upang muling mabigyan sila ng panibagong “calibrated actions” alinsunod sa Department Order No. 193 series of 2016-Administrative Action on Contracts with Negative Slippage in Accordance with the Revised IRR of R.A. 9184 and/or the imposition of liquidated damages pursuant to R.A. 9184.
Samantala, ayon sa talaan ng DPWH-MIMAROPA Region “Infrastructure Projects”, ang nabanggit na proyekto ay 46.78% kumpleto pa lamang as of October 31, 2016, wala pa sa kalahati ng isandaang porsyento ang nagagawa kaya ang tanong ng ating mga kababayan, hanggang kailan kaya nila mararanasan ang perwisyong dulot ng kawalan ng tulay sa kanilang lugar? Hanggang kailan kaya ito matatapos? Kailan nila ito mapakikinabangan?
